Mukherjee to discuss terrorism during Dhaka visit: official

Dhaka, Jan 13 (IANS) Joint fight against terrorism and some of the long-pending bilateral issues will be discussed when Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee visits Dhaka in early February, an official said.Announcing Monday the tentative programme of the minister’s visit, Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty said the main concern of the Indian government was to ensure security in the region by eradicating terrorism, New Age newspaper reported.

Chakravarty said: “There is no compromise on the issue of terrorism. We’ll jointly move against the terrorists in the subcontinent.”

Sheikh Hasina, who swept last month’s poll and is the new prime minister, has reiterated her poll pledge that Dhaka would take the initiative for a South Asian Joint Task Force to tackle terrorism.

Mukherjee will convey the good wishes of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Sheikh Hasina and discuss bilateral and regional issues, the envoy said.

Responding to a query on India’s long-pending request for transit facilities to Bangladesh’s ports, the envoy said that it was “not a political issue. India seeks the transit to enhance trade between the two countries”.

“If Bangladesh allows port transit not only to India but also other countries South Asia, it can earn more revenues,” Chakravarty was quoted as saying by New Age newspaper.